Software appliance management using broadcast data

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for managing software appliances using a broadcast mechanism, embodiments of which incorporate a centralized appliance monitor that collects software appliance state information from a community of clients having software appliance installations. Software appliances can include a reduced-component operating system combined with pre-configured application(s), for instance distributed via optical disc or Web download. When a software appliance instantiates on a client in the network or at other times, the identity and execution state of the application is broadcast to an appliance monitor. The appliance monitor aggregates the appliance state information for all clients in the network, and manages their deployment and execution on the network. The appliance monitor can for example transmit an appliance control instruction to a client to terminate or otherwise manage an uncertified or unapproved appliance, or take other network management action.

FIELD

The present teachings relate to techniques for managing software appliances distributed on a network, and more particularly to systems and methods for monitoring software appliance usage using a broadcast mechanism that communicates the state of software appliances installed in a network to an administrative monitor.

BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART

Software appliances generally involve the encapsulation of a pre-defined application or applications with a reduced version of an operating system (OS), such as the Linux™ operating system. Software appliances in one regard thereby represent a relatively compact, ready-to-install application solution and can be distributed via media such as CD-ROM discs, or downloaded for installation. Software appliances can be distributed and installed in a variety of environments, including stand-alone and networked environments.

Due in part to their compactness and ease of installation and configuration, software appliances are readily installed by a variety of users. However in a networked environment, that ease of installation can lead users to freely obtain and install a range of unapproved software appliances. In a controlled network environment, such as a large-scale corporate or government network or site, users can for example install unauthorized, incompatible, or uncertified types or versions of software appliances. For example, users may install software appliances of differing or incompatible versions, or software appliances that are not validated for security purposes.

Software appliances can be distributed with integral management tools that permit a user of a specific installation of that appliance to manage the operation of that appliance directly on that client or other host. However, it may be desirable to provide methods and systems to manage an entire population of software appliances on a network from a centralized monitor or host, including to track and prevent uncertified appliance installations on the network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present teachings and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present teachings. In the figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall system for software appliance management using a broadcast mechanism, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a client, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary configuration of an appliance monitor and associated data store, according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of overall software appliance management using a broadcast mechanism, according to various embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for software appliance management using a broadcast mechanism, in which a set of networked clients host sets of installed software appliances. Each client in the set of networked clients contains a broadcast module which communicates state information about the set of software appliances locally installed on that client, such as the identity of the one or more appliances an execution state of those appliances, version numbers for those appliances, a client ID of the host client, an input/output (I/O) state of the appliance and/or client such as a list of active ports, or other metadata capturing the configuration or execution state of the installed appliances. The broadcast module in each client can transmit the appliance state information on a periodic or other basis to other clients in the network, as well as to a centralized appliance monitor communicating with the network. The appliance monitor can comprise a server or other workstation configured to listen on the network for the stream of appliance state data broadcast by clients populating the set of clients, and aggregate the states of appliances on individual clients to an aggregate state table representing the collective state of all software appliances executing on the network.

The software appliances themselves can comprise one or more applications combined with “minimum amount of an operating system” (MiniOS) to allow the embedded application(s) to run on a computing platform or in a virtual machine executing on a computing platform. The incorporated MiniOS can comprise a subset of the components of a complete OS that contains enough resources to support the application(s) intended to be encapsulated with a MiniOS in an appliance. A software appliance can therefore occupy less space than regular or self-standing applications and independent OSes.

A software appliance can be pre-configured for a specific client or computing platform on which it will be placed. Specifically, during creation of a software appliance, the embedded MiniOS and application(s) can be pre-configured with the settings and parameters of the client or computing platform on which it will be placed. For example, if software appliance includes a server OS and email server application, the server OS and email server application can be pre-configured to operate with the network settings of the computing platform it be placed and the network it will serve. Accordingly, a software appliance needs only to be placed on the target client or computing platform without additional configuration. In embodiments, a software appliance can be installed to a variety of clients, servers or other target devices, such as network servers, personal computers, network-enabled cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, media players, and others.

In general, the appliance monitor can check the aggregate state table representing the state of all appliances against a validation profile to determine whether the combined set of software appliances executing on the network being supervised are validated and/or operating properly. For example, the validation profile can validate versions of a given software appliance that are known to be compatible with the hardware or software requirements of the particular network whose group of appliances are being managed. The appliance monitor can transmit an appliance control instruction to the set of clients to correct or manage the state of software appliance installation or operation, such as for example to terminate uncertified appliances or to update selected clients with a newer validated version of an installed appliance. A systems administrator or other user can therefore operate the appliance monitor from a centralized location and manage and maintain the entire set of software appliance resources residing on the network, in a coordinated fashion. Also, because the appliance state information is broadcast or streamed from the client population on an automatic or continuous basis, unauthorized appliance use or other network faults or conditions can be detected and addressed relatively promptly. These and other embodiments described herein address the various noted shortcomings in know network management technology related to software appliances, and provide enhanced software appliance management tools and options.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present teachings, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Where possible the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall system 100 consistent with various embodiments of systems and methods for software appliance management using a broadcast mechanism, according to embodiments of the present teachings. In embodiments as shown, a set of clients 118 can communicate with each other and with an appliance monitor 126 via network 116. Network 116 can be or include the Internet or other public network, a virtual private network (VPN) operating within a public network, a private network, or other network or connection. Each individual client in the set of clients 118 can be a personal computer, network-enabled cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, media players, or other devices. Each client in the set of clients 118 can contain or host an installed set of software appliances 122, as well as a broadcast module 124. Each set of software appliances 122 can comprise one or more difference software appliances of different types, for instance, an email client appliance, a browser appliance, a media player appliance, or others. Each set of software appliances 122 can comprise updates to the originally installed appliances.

The broadcast module 124 of each client can be configured to automatically transmit appliance state information 120 representing the configuration and/or execution state of the respective set of software appliances 122 installed on that client to the remainder of the set of clients 118, as well as to appliance monitor 126. Appliance state information 120 can for example contain metadata representing or encoding the execution state of a software appliance, the client ID on which the appliance is installed or executing, version information for the appliance, and other metadata characterizing or identifying attributes of the subject software appliance. In embodiments, broadcast module 124 can automatically transmit appliance state information 120 upon the instantiation of any software appliance on the associated local client. In embodiments, broadcast module 124 can be configured to transmit appliance state information 120 at other times, such as predetermined regular intervals, or at other times.

Appliance monitor 126 receives the incoming stream of appliance state information 120 from set of clients 118, and in embodiments aggregates that information in an appliance data store 130. Appliance monitor 126 can host a management engine 128 that receives appliance state information 120 and organizes appliance state information in an aggregate state table 132 encapsulating all appliance metadata received from all clients in the set of clients 118. Management engine 128 can be configured to examine any individual set of appliance state information 120 and/or aggregate state table 132 to carry out management functions for the software appliance pool installed on network 116. Management engine 128 can for instance track the identity, number type, and version information of the total installed set of software appliances to maintain consistent versions, to track upgrade histories or entitlements, to ensure security policies are maintained, or perform other management functions from one centralized station. In embodiments, management engine 128 can audit the collective software appliances aggregated form the reported set of software appliances 122 of each client to identify unauthorized or uncertified appliances executing on network 116. Management engine 128 can for instance check the identity of software appliances against an appliance validation profile 130 that can enumerate approved software appliances and identify those that are not authorized, certified or validated. Management engine 128 can then take supervisory action on network 116 when unauthorized appliances are detected, for instance to terminate or uninstall such versions.

FIG. 2 illustrates an illustrative configuration of hardware and other resources incorporated in an individual client 102 with which appliance monitor 126 can communicate via network 116, according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, client 102 can comprise a processor 108 communicating with memory 110, such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of or in conjunction with operating system 104. Operating system 104 can be a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietary operating system. Operating system 104 can present a user interface to accept user inputs and commands, and manage data storage, input/output (I/O), and other operations. Processor 108 also communicates with local data store 106, such as a database stored on a local hard drive. Processor 108 further communicates with network interface 112, such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicates with network 116, such as the Internet or other public or private networks, to communicate with set of clients 118, in which client 102, appliance monitor 126, and other clients can reside. Other configurations of client 102, appliance monitor 126, associated networked connections, and other hardware and software resources are possible.

In terms of interaction between set of clients 118 and appliance monitor 126, in embodiments as shown in FIG. 3, management engine 128 can collect the incoming stream of appliance state information 120 and build aggregate state table 132 based on that information reported from set of clients 118. In embodiments, aggregate state table 132 can contain a software appliance ID 134 as a key field, as well as appliance metadata 136 consisting of fields of information representing aspects of the execution and/or execution state of an individual software appliance. Appliance metadata 136, as shown, can contain fields such as software appliance ID 134, a version field, an execution state field representing the execution state of a software appliance on a given client, the input/output (I/O) state of the appliance (e.g., active, inactive, suspended, terminated), the client ID of the hosting client, and other fields or data. In embodiments, other fields and/or configurations of aggregate state table 132 can be used.

Upon determination of the state of execution and/or configuration of a software appliance in aggregate state table 132, management engine 128 can generate and transmit an appliance control instruction 138 to the set of clients 118 via network 116. Appliance control instruction 138 can contain administrative or supervisory-level code or instructions for receipt and execution by clients in the set of clients 138. Appliance control instruction 138 can contain an instruction, for instance, to terminate and/or uninstall all instances of an appliance determined to be unauthorized or uncertified for use in network 116. Appliance control instruction 138 can contain other types of instructions or code, for example, instructions for maintenance or update procedures to take place in set of clients 118 at predetermined or other times. Other maintenance and management operations are possible.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of overall software appliance management using a broadcast mechanism, according to various embodiments. In step 402, processing can begin. In step 404, the any one or more appliance in set of software appliances 122 installed on respective clients in set of clients 118 can be instantiated, for instance by user selection or automatic startup when the client device is booted or powered up. In step 406, the broadcast module 124 of each respective client in the set of clients 118 can be activated, for instance by automatic detection of a connection to network 116. In step 408, appliance state information 120 can be received by appliance monitor 126 from any one or more client in set of clients 118 indicating the execution state of one or more software appliances instantiated or installed on that client. In embodiments, appliance state information 120 can incorporate an appliance ID 134 such as a numeric code indicating the identity and/or version of a software appliance, a version number for the software appliance, an execution state of the appliance (e.g., active, inactive, suspended, terminated etc.), an input/output (I/O) state or configuration of the appliance (e.g., listing any active ports being listened to or transmitted on by the appliance), or other metadata or fields indicating the execution state of each enumerated software appliance. In embodiments, appliance state information 120 can be broadcast automatically and/or periodically by broadcast module 124 of each associated client, or can broadcast to other clients and/or appliance monitor 126 based on even triggers, such as initiation of or communication by an appliance.

In step 410, appliance monitor 126 can update aggregate state table 132 using any recently received appliance state information 120, as appropriate. In embodiments, updates to aggregate state table 132 can be initiated only upon detection of an incremental update to appliance state information 120 of any one or more appliance. In step 412, the set of software appliances 122 aggregated in aggregate state table 132 can be validated against appliance validation profile 140, for example to confirm that all executing appliances executing on set of clients 118 via network 126 are certified, authorized or otherwise validated software appliances. If an appliance does not validate against appliance validation profile 140, an exception can be registered to aggregate state table 132 or otherwise thrown.

In step 414, appliance monitor 126 can generate and transmit an appliance control instruction 138 to one or more respective clients in the set of clients 118. Appliance control instruction 138 can be or include, for instance, an instruction to terminate or suspend the execution of an uncertified software appliance detected on one or more respective clients in set of clients 118. In embodiments appliance control instruction 138 can be or include other instructions, for instance, to allocate a different port to an appliance, to adjust the amount of memory allocated to an appliance, to identify a data store from which the appliance will obtain data, or other commands, instructions, or configuration messages. In step 416, appliance monitor 126 can update aggregate state table 132 based on any administrative actions taken by appliance monitor 126 and/or any issued appliance control instruction 138, for instance to reflect newly deactivated appliances. In step 418, processing can repeat, return to a prior processing point, jump to a further processing point, or end, as understood by persons skilled in the art.

The foregoing description is illustrative, and variations in configuration and implementation may occur to persons skilled in the art. For example, while embodiments have been described in terms of the distribution and management of software appliances on a single network 116, in embodiments the inventive platform and techniques can manage a set of software appliances across multiple networks. Similarly, while embodiments have been described in which the appliance state information 130, management engine 128 and associated resources are hosted in a single appliance monitor 126, in embodiments the control logic used to track and manage the set of software appliances 122 can be distributed across multiple servers, sites or other resources. For further example, in embodiments management logic and other functions can be distributed to various clients within set of clients 118 itself, or to other platforms. Other resources described as singular or integrated can in embodiments be plural or distributed, and resources described as multiple or distributed can in embodiments be combined. The scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving a plurality of broadcasts comprising information identifying execution states and configurations of a plurality of software appliances, each broadcast is from a client system of a plurality of client systems, wherein at least two of the plurality of software appliances are installed on each of the plurality of client systems; determining, by a processor, whether a first software appliance of the plurality of software appliances that is installed on a first client system of the plurality of client systems is unauthorized in view of an execution state of the first software appliance and a configuration of a second software appliance of the plurality of software appliances; and generating a control action for the first client system when the first software appliance is determined to be unauthorized.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control action comprises one or both of: an instruction to terminate execution of the first software appliance, and an instruction to install an updated copy of the first software appliance on the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control action comprises an instruction to uninstall the first software appliance from the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software appliance comprises a pre-configured application and a reduced operating system configured to support the pre-configured application.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is also in view of an I/O state of the first software appliance.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating information pertaining to the execution state of the first software appliance to reflect the control action.
 7. A system comprising: a network interface device; and a processor coupled to the network interface device and to: receive a plurality of broadcasts comprising information identifying execution states and configurations of a plurality of software appliances, each broadcast is from a client system of a plurality of client systems, wherein at least two of the plurality of software appliances are installed on each of the plurality of client systems; determine whether a first software appliance of the plurality of software appliances that is installed on a first client system of the plurality of client systems is unauthorized in view of an execution state of the first software appliance and a configuration of a second software appliance of the plurality of software appliances, and transmit, via the network interface device, a control action for the first client system when the first software appliance is determined to be unauthorized.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control action comprises one or both of: an instruction to terminate execution of the first software appliance, and an instruction to install an updated copy of the first software appliance on the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the control action comprises an instruction to uninstall the first software appliance from the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first software appliance comprises a pre-configured application and a reduced operating system configured to support the pre-configured application.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the determining is also in view of an I/O state of the first software appliance.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to update information pertaining to the execution state of the first software appliance to reflect the control action.
 13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a plurality of broadcasts comprising information identifying execution states and configurations of a plurality of software appliances, each broadcast is from a client system of a plurality of client systems, wherein at least two of the plurality of software appliances are installed on each of the plurality of client systems; determining, by the processor, whether a first software appliance of the plurality of software appliances that is installed on a first client system of the plurality of client systems is unauthorized in view of an execution state of the first software appliance and a configuration of a second software appliance of the plurality of software appliances; and generating a control action for the first client system when the first software appliance is determined to be unauthorized.
 14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the control action comprises one or both of: an instruction to terminate execution of the first software appliance, and an instruction to install an updated copy of the first software appliance on the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the control action comprises an instruction to uninstall the first software appliance from the first client system that hosts the first software appliance.
 16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first software appliance comprises a pre-configured application and a reduced operating system configured to support the pre-configured application.
 17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise updating information pertaining to the execution state of the first software appliance to reflect the control action. 